Thumb latch holster

ABSTRACT

A holster having an interference member which entraps a handgun there within. The interference member is flexibly fixed to the holster, and is movable between an engaged position and a released position. The interference member interferes with a rear facing surface of the slide or rear sight of the handgun. The interference member presents an interfering surface to a rear facing surface of the handgun when the latter is fully inserted in the holster and the interference member is in the engaged position. The interference member is resiliently urged into the engaged position, and may be moved to the released position by thumb contact by the user when the user grips the handgun in a conventional manner.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to firearm holsters, and more particularly, to a holster adapted to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of a firearm from the holster.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Holsters are used to store firearms on the person of a user, and to maintain firearms at the ready. By its nature, a holster readily accepts a firearm inserted therein. However, the easier it is to insert a firearm, the easier it is that the firearm can be dislodged and lost from its holster. The field of firearms would benefit from a holster adapted to readily receive a firearm inserted therein, but which inhibits spontaneous or inadvertent loss of the firearm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above stated situation by providing a holster having a member which engages a firearm inserted into the holster by establishing interference in a direction of withdrawal of the firearm from the holster, thereby inhibiting inadvertent loss of the firearm from the holster. The member is resiliently fixed to the holster, and is readily moved from an interfering position to release the firearm for withdrawal only when withdrawal is intended.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a handgun inserted into a holster, according to at least one aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the handgun inserted into the holster, according to a further aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the handgun inserted into the holster, according to still another aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the handgun inserted into the holster, according to yet another aspect of the disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the handgun inserted into the holster, according to still another aspect of the disclosure

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first to FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the invention, there is shown a holster 100 for a handgun 10 including a barrel 12, a muzzle 14 opening to the front 16 of the handgun 10, a slide 18 including a rear portion 20 opposite the front 16, and a rear facing surface 22 at the rear portion 20. The handgun 10 is conventional, its components being described herein for the purpose of semantic reference.

The holster 100 comprises a receptacle 102 for receiving the handgun 10 in conventional manner. The receptacle 102 includes a distal end 104 and a proximal end 106. The receptacle 102 is configured to receive the handgun 10 in close cooperation therewith such that when the handgun 10 is fully inserted into the receptacle 102, the muzzle 14 proximate to the distal end 104.

An interference member 108 is flexibly fixed to receptacle 102 in a manner which, with the handgun 10 fully inserted in the receptacle 102, enables the interference member 108 to deflect between an engaged position and a released position. The interference member 108 includes an elongated portion 120 and a latch portion 112, which includes an interference surface 110. FIG. 1 illustrates the engaged position, wherein the interference member 108 presents an interference surface 110 of the latch 112 to the rear facing surface 22 of the handgun 10. The interference member 108 obstructs withdrawal of the handgun 10 in a direction (indicated by the arrow A) parallel to the barrel 12.

FIG. 2 illustrates the released position wherein the interference member 108 does not obstruct withdrawal of the handgun 10 in the direction A. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, the rear facing surface 22 is on a rear sight 24 of the handgun 10. It will be seen that a latch 112 projecting from the elongated portion 120 and bearing the interference surface 110 has been deflected by the thumb 26 of the user (not shown in his or her entirety) sufficiently to allow the rear sight 24 and hence the entire handgun 10 to slide out of the holster 100 in the direction A.

The interference member 108 extends beyond the slide 18 of the handgun 10, in the example of FIG. 2, to the rear of the slide 18. The rear of the slide 18 is that side opposite the muzzle 14. This extension or projection provides the exposed surface 114 which may be pressed by the thumb 26 of the user of the holster 10 to move the interference member 108 to the released position when the user grips the handle 28 (see FIG. 1) of the handgun 10 in a conventional manner. In the example of FIG. 2, the interference member 108 is deflected to the left of the handgun 10 to disengage therefrom. The conventional manner of holding the handgun 10 is shown in FIG. 2.

It should be noted at this point that orientational terms such as left, upward, upwardly, downwardly, and above refer to the subject matter in orientations of normal use. For the purposes of this disclosure, in the orientation of normal use, which could obviously change with changes in orientation of the user's hand, the handle 28 is below the slide 18 of handgun 10 when the handle 28 is grasped by the hand 30 (see FIG. 2) of the user. Therefore, orientational terms must be understood to provide semantic basis for purposes of description only, and do not imply that their subject matter can be used only in one position.

The interference member 108 may contact the rear facing surface 22 of the handgun 10 in any of several ways. In the example of FIG. 2, as has been stated, the rear facing surface 22 is engaged by the latch 112.

Turning to FIG. 3, the interference member 108 comprises an opening 116 through which the rear sight 24 projects in close cooperation therewith when the handgun 10 is fully inserted in the receptacle (e.g., as seen in FIG. 1) and the interference member 108 is in the engaged position (as in FIG. 1). In the example of FIG. 3, the interfering surface 110 is the rearmost surface of the opening 116. The interference member 108 comprises an upwardly inclined projection 118. The upward inclination better accommodates the thumb 26 of the user when moving or deflecting the interference member 108 to the released position (e.g., as in FIG. 2) and makes reholstering possible.

Turning to FIG. 4, the interference member 108 covers the rear sight 24 from above the handgun 10 and presents the interfering surface 110 to the rear of the rear sight 24 when the interference member 108 is in the engaged position and the handgun 10 is fully inserted in the receptacle 102. An upwardly projecting bulge is formed in the elongated portion 120 of the interference member 108. The elongated portion 120 terminates in an upwardly inclined projection 118.

In contrast to the interference member 108 of FIG. 3, which includes the opening 116, and the interference member 108 of FIG. 4, which includes the bulge, the interference member 108 of FIGS. 1 and 2 includes an elongated portion 120 of the interference member 108 and the latch 112, the interference surface 110 being substantially perpendicular to the elongated portion 120. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, the interference member 108 presents the interfering surface 110 to the rear of the rear sight 24 when the interference member 108 is in the engaged position and the handgun 10 is fully inserted in the receptacle 102.

In the examples of FIGS. 3 and 4, the upwardly inclined projection 118 enables the interference member 108 to be moved or deflected upwardly when being moved from the engaged position to the released position.

Turning now to FIG. 5, the interference member 108 is configured to include a latch 112 and the elongated portion 120, which presents the interfering surface 110 to the rear portion 20 of the slide 18 of the handgun 10 when the interference member 108 is in the engaged position and the handgun 10 is fully inserted in the receptacle 102. The latch 112 is arranged perpendicularly to the elongated portion 120, thereby forming a convenient receptacle for receiving the thumb 26 (FIG. 2) of the user when the user wishes to move the interference member 108 to the released position.

FIG. 6 shows a variation on the example of FIG. 5, wherein the elongated portion 120 of the interference member 108 is integrated with the receptacle 102 and projects at the rear portion 20 of the handgun 10. The user may engage the latch 112 by the thumb 26 when moving the interference member 108 to the released position. The rear portion 20 of the handgun 10 will provide forward support to the thumb 26.

In any example of the holster 100, i.e., the configurations shown in FIGS. 1-6, the interference member 108 may be made from a material same or similar to that of the receptacle 102, being unitary therewith. For example, the receptacle 102 and the interference member 108 may be molded from Kydex RTM, which is an acrylic polyvinyl chloride thermoplastic in widespread use for fabricating holsters, and is manufactured by Kydex LLC, of Bloombsburg, P. Alternatively, in any example of the holster 100, the interference member 108 may be made from a material dissimilar to that of the receptacle 102. Illustratively, the receptacle 102 may be made from Kydex®, with the interference member 108 made from another plastic material. The interference member 108, if made from another material than the receptacle 102, may be fastened to the receptacle 102 by bolts, rivets, and other fastening systems.

In any example of the holster 100, the interference member 108 must be resiliently biased toward the engaged position. This may be the consequence of constituent materials selected for fabrication of the holster 100, such as Kydex® and other flexible plastic materials. It would be possible to form the receptacle 102 from a material too rigid to impart suitable resilient bias of the interference member 108 into the engaged position, provided that the interference member 108 were formed from a suitably elastic material. Many known thermoplastic materials are suitable for this purpose.

The holster 100 may include a holding device such as an attachment clip, an attachment strap, and still others (none of these options is shown), to secure the holster 100 to a belt, an article of apparel, or to the body of the user (none of these options is shown).

The holster 100 may be formed in any suitable way, for example, with the receptacle 102 being a single monolithic entity molded from a material such as Kydex®. Alternatively, the holster 100 may be formed in mating sections (not shown).

The receptacle 102 may be made entirely or partially from leather.

The holster 100 may include a tension screw (not shown).

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible. 

I claim:
 1. A holster for a handgun including a barrel, a muzzle to the front of the handgun, a slide including a rear portion opposite the front which includes a rear sight that includes a rear facing surface at the rear portion, the holster comprising a receptacle for receiving the handgun, the receptacle including: a distal end and a proximal end, the receptacle configured to receive the handgun in close cooperation therewith such that when the handgun is fully inserted into the receptacle, the muzzle proximate to the distal end; and an interference member flexibly fixed to receptacle and resiliently biased toward the engaged position in a manner which, with the handgun fully inserted in the receptacle, enables the interference member to deflect between an engaged position wherein the interference member presents an interference surface to the rear facing surface of the rear sight of the handgun and obstructs withdrawal of the handgun in a direction parallel to the barrel, and a released position wherein the interference member does not obstruct withdrawal of the handgun in the direction parallel to the barrel.
 2. The holster of claim 1, wherein the interference member comprises an opening through which the rear sight projects in close cooperation therewith when the handgun is fully inserted in the receptacle and the interference member is in the engaged position.
 3. The holster of claim 1, wherein the interference member covers the rear sight from above the handgun and presents an interfering surface to the rear of the rear sight when the interference member is in the engaged position and the handgun is fully inserted in the receptacle.
 4. The holster of claim 1, wherein the interference member comprises a latch which presents an interfering surface to the rear of the rear sight when the interference member is in the engaged position and the handgun is fully inserted in the receptacle.
 5. The holster of claim 1, wherein the interference member is unitary with the holster.
 6. The holster of claim 1, wherein the interference member is made from a material dissimilar to that of the receptacle.
 7. The holster of claim 1, wherein the interference member is made from a material similar to that of the receptacle.
 8. The holster of claim 1, wherein the interference member extends beyond the slide of the handgun, thereby providing an exposed surface which may be pressed by the thumb of the user of the holster to move the interference member to the released position when the user grips the handle of the handgun in a conventional manner.
 9. A holster for a handgun including a barrel, a muzzle to the front of the handgun, a slide including a rear portion opposite the front, and a rear facing surface at the rear portion, the holster comprising a receptacle for receiving the handgun, the receptacle including: a distal end and a proximal end, the receptacle configured to receive the handgun in close cooperation therewith such that when the handgun is fully inserted into the receptacle, the muzzle proximate to the distal end; and an interference member flexibly fixed to receptacle and resiliently biased toward the engaged position in a manner which, with the handgun fully inserted in the receptacle, enables the interference member to deflect between an engaged position wherein the interference member presents an interference surface to the rear facing surface of the handgun and obstructs withdrawal of the handgun in a direction parallel to the barrel, and a released position wherein the interference member does not obstruct withdrawal of the handgun in the direction parallel to the barrel, wherein the interference member comprises a latch which presents an interfering surface to the rear of the slide of the handgun when the interference member is in the engaged position and the handgun is fully inserted in the receptacle.
 10. The holster of claim 9, wherein the interference member is unitary with the holster.
 11. The holster of claim 9, wherein the interference member is made from a material dissimilar to that of the receptacle.
 12. The holster of claim 9, wherein the interference member is made from a material similar to that of the receptacle.
 13. The holster of claim 9, wherein the interference member extends beyond the slide of the handgun, thereby providing an exposed surface which may be pressed by the thumb of the user of the holster to move the interference member to the released position when the user grips the handle of the handgun in a conventional manner. 